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Water Heater Thermal Expansion Tanks: What You Need to Know

Keep reading to learn more about heater expansion tanks. What are they? How can they improve the efficiency of your systems and help preserve your plumbing?

Thermal Expansion Tank

Water heaters are relatively common devices. However, their designs have few shortcomings that might put a strain on the plumbing system of your home. The heat that water heaters generate can cause a reaction called “thermal expansion.” In the long run, this can damage plumbing pipes and other fixtures. Thankfully, most heaters, especially the newer ones, feature a safety device often known as a “water heater expansion tank” or “thermal expansion tank”.

What Does A Thermal Expansion Tank Do?

A thermal expansion tank helps decrease the risk that high pressure from your water heater might eventually damage your plumbing system. Repairing your plumbing fixtures can be expensive and time-consuming. For this reason, it is really essential to use these safety features if you have a tank-based water heater.

When water gets hotter, it expands. A water heater expansion tank is almost like an overflow remedy, which absorbs all the excess water that comes from heating up water in the water heater. This device is also great at absorbing fluctuations, which might affect the pressure of the water.

Thermal Expansion Tank Installation

Installing a new thermal expansion tank can be a truly beneficial investment for your home, and in some cases, it is also required. Many people do not have a single-ended valve installed and sometimes do not have a closed water system. If this is your case, you could definitely benefit from getting a water heater expansion tank installed. The good news? The cost of the installation is relatively affordable and the market features a really wide variety of offerings. You will find models that will set you back a few hundred dollars, but there are also some models that will cost you less than 50 bucks. Before committing to a specific purchase, it is important to gain a better understanding of what you need, and what kind of performance you can expect from your water heater expansion tank. Naturally, the size of the water heater will also affect its capacity, cost, and flexibility. Therefore, that’s definitely something that you should consider.

Is Thermal Expansion Tank Required?

In some cases, installing an expansion tank might be required by law. In fact, these devices are actually mandatory in some cities. You should make sure to double-check that with local authorities and learn more about the building code that’s pertinent in your area. With increased pressure, the water might expand too much and cause damage to the plumbing fixtures of your home, not to mention the water heater, as well as the hydraulic pipes, which might also experience some issues when exposed to consistent levels of high pressure.

In conclusion, installing a thermal expansion tank is definitely going to be a worthwhile investment for your home. It will protect your whole plumbing system, and definitely help you prevent other issues and damage stemming from the process of heating water with a tank-based heater.

Contact Green’s Plumbing at 818/880-8847 to learn more about thermal expansion tanks!